


you can have my pussy (but you can’t have my cat)

by gaypanic



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Neighbors, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Cats, F/F, Fluff, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-27
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 17:18:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,644
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14454078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gaypanic/pseuds/gaypanic
Summary: Regina’s cat finds its way to Emma’s balcony one day and deems her apartment, and by extension her bed, a suitable place to be. Will Regina come to the same conclusion?





	you can have my pussy (but you can’t have my cat)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Sarconistia](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sarconistia/gifts).



> Yeah, so... I wasn’t going to call it this… but as soon as I typed the title out, I knew I couldn’t call it anything else. Am I sorry? Maybe a little. Anyway, this is inspired by a tumblr prompt, which is literally the opening line of the fic, so to avoid redundancy, you'll just have to wait and see what it is. 
> 
> This fic is for CJ because you’re awesome, and this cracky ass fluffy/ smutty monstrosity is a pseudo-apology for all the pain I have caused you and will continue to cause you, which I’m still not all that sorry for LMAO
> 
> Anyway, this story is Garbage™ and I hope you like it!!

“I recently discovered that my cat has been treating your apartment as a second home, so first of all, I apologize, and second of all, can I have her back please?” 

 

Emma blinks at the woman in front of her. Only minutes ago, she’d been deep asleep in an impromptu nap, and with its abrupt ending, everything feels more than a little unreal. And this? A gorgeous stranger at her door talking about cats? Completely unreal.

 

The woman, her neighbor, apparently, shifts a little when Emma doesn’t respond right away. She’s about to speak again when Emma puts her eloquent verbal skills into action. “Wait, what?”

 

The woman huffs, just a hint of irritation that Emma can’t help but think is cute. “My cat? I know she’s here,” she says, eyeing the sliding door behind the blonde, cracked open just enough to grant a cat access. 

 

The mystery cat had appeared for the first time about a month ago, sitting outside the glass door of her balcony glaring in at her with a fierce determination. For what? Emma wasn’t sure. Maybe milk or something, she supposed.

 

But when she let the cat in and poured some milk into a bowl, it just frowned at it before frowning even more at  _ her _ .  _ Do cats even  _ like _ milk? _ she wondered. “Stereotypes, amirite?” she tried to joke, but the cat wasn’t having it. “Okayy, water then?”

 

The cat frowned at the water too, before squinting up at Emma. “Come on,” Emma groaned. “I’m not trying to poison you…” To her relief, the cat actually started taking tentative licks at the water, and Emma took advantage of its position, trying to figure out the cat’s gender. 

 

Unfortunately, its black fur was so fluffy that she had no luck. “Well, I don’t want to stereotype you again, and everyone says cats are  _ feminine _ ,” Emma said. “Maybe you’re a boy cat.” The cat glared up at her. “See, but you make that face all the time. I don’t know what you’re trying to tell me.” 

 

The cat only turned back to the water. “I wish I knew what your name was…” Emma said, watching the cat drink. “Wait! Do you have a collar?” Emma suddenly asked, crouching next to the cat and reaching to pet it. But the cat hated that more than the milk as the fluffball swatted at her hand with a quick hiss. 

 

“Okay,  _ fine _ ,” Emma huffed. “I’ll just give you a new name.” Emma frowned down at the cat in thought who frowned back up at her in what was probably annoyance or hatred or… anything really. “You’re not helping your case with these cat stereotypes you know. You’re lucky I don’t call you Grumpy.”

 

She regarded the squinty creature for a moment longer, deciding she wasn’t going to give in and name it something like  _ Asshole _ or  _ Darth Vader _ . It took her a minute, but the corners of her mouth tilted up as she smiled down at the fluffy cat. “I’m gonna call you Mickey.”

 

At that, Mickey turned and left.

 

He didn’t come back for another week.

 

It took a while, and Emma was never sure exactly  _ why  _ Mickey was there, because all he seemed to do was glare or  _ squint _ at her whenever she so much as moved, and when she tried to pet him, he would swat and hiss. He seemed to learn early on that when she said  _ Mickey _ , she was talking to him. It made her wonder if that was actually his name, but the coincidence was likely too great. Especially cause she still wasn’t totally sure Mickey was a boy cat at all.

 

But he continued coming back, and weeks later, he finally let Emma pet him. She thought she heard him purring, but it was over before she could be sure. 

 

And now, with his owner standing in her doorway, he's sleeping on her  _ bed _ , which she's sure this woman would feel… some kind of way about, and she supposes she’s about to see, assuming that Mickey is still in the same position.

 

“Oh, right,” Emma nods, taking a heavy swallow before stepping back, arm outstretched as if to display her messy apartment. “Would you like to come in?”

 

Instead of answering, the woman steps past her, eyeing the surrounding space, more out of scrutiny of Emma’s home decor than in search of her cat. 

 

“I know it’s a mess,” Emma says, even though it’s not  _ really _ that bad. The woman shrugs before turning back to Emma.

 

“She’s here, isn’t she?”

 

“Who?”

 

The woman looks torn between irritation and amusement. “My cat…”

 

“Oh! Yeah, sorry. I just didn’t know he was a girl. I mean  _ she _ . Sorry,” Emma adds with a mumble.

 

The woman laughs once. “Are you really that ignorant about cat biology?”

 

Emma’s mouth drops, “Look, your cat has the fluffiest butt out of any cat ever, probably. Besides, h--  _ she _ wouldn’t let me pet her for like, weeks. Imagine me trying to  _ investigate _ Mickey’s ass--”

 

“Mickey?”

 

Emma shrugs. “I didn’t know so I had to make something up. It was either that or Darth Vader…”

 

Dark brown eyes bore into Emma’s for a long moment, and Emma hates how hard to read this woman is. She had just been laughing, but she doesn’t look amused anymore. She couldn’t help but fear the cat is actually named something like  _ Princess _ or  _ Missy _ , so she’s pleasantly surprised when a small smirk graces the woman’s lips and she half says, half coos, “Xena.”

 

To Emma’s surprise, Mickey--  _ Xena _ , immediately strolls into the living room from the bedroom, her face rubbing against her owner’s hand as the woman crouches to greet her. “Woah, how did you do that?” Emma asks in awe.

 

The woman snorts up at her. “Have you never had a pet?”

 

“Uh, no, not really. Mickey’s the closest I’ve come--”   
  


“Xena.”

 

“Right. Sorry. I’m, uh… bad with names? Speaking of which, I don’t know yours.”

 

The brunette stands to face Emma, wearing an amused smirk. “Regina…”

 

“Regina,” Emma repeats, holding out her hand. “I’m Emma. Emma Swan”

 

“Em-ma.” Regina takes her hand, and the blonde almost gasps at the softness of her skin, but she fights it off, saving herself from incredible amounts of mortification. For now anyway. 

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

 

“The pleasure’s all mine,” Regina responds, her hand lingering in Emma’s. Her gaze doesn’t stray until after her hand drops. “I’m sorry again that Xena’s been making your home her second one. I don’t know what’s gotten into her.”

 

“Maybe she likes me?” Emma suggests, but Regina must know as well as she does that it’s a lie because she snorts.

 

“Hardly.” Xena squints up at her as if to confirm, and Emma gapes down at the cat.

 

“How dare you betray me like this! And to think I let you sleep in my bed!”

 

The brunette’s eyebrows raise. “Must be a comfy bed. Xena tends to be rather picky.”

 

“Uh…” is all Emma manages before her mouth goes dry. Is this conversation real? Is she really talking about how comfortable her bed is with an incredibly gorgeous complete stranger? It would be so easy to say something ridiculous like,  _ care to find out? _ straight from some kind of porno, but Emma is better than that. “I have a pretty okay coffee machine,” is what she ends up saying, and she doesn’t know where it came from, but she doesn’t really care as long as it doesn’t involve her  _ bed _ .

 

“Mind if I try it out?”

 

“My  _ bed _ ?” Emma squeaks.

 

Regina smirks. “The coffee.”

 

“Oh god. Right. Coffee.” Emma mumbles as she walks around the counter to start up some mediocre coffee and tries to keep her cool. As long as she can get through this  _ one _ interaction, maybe she’ll never see Regina again, at least not more than a pass in the hallway, and she can keep her gay panic at a distance.

 

But Xena is back the next day, relentlessly pawing at the balcony door. 

 

Emma glares at her through the glass. “Come  _ on _ ! You’ve got to be kidding me! You don’t even live here,” she tells the cat through the glass as she marches over to stare down at her, hands on her hips. All Xena does is squint up at her. “Typical,” Emma scoffs.

 

She stares down for several long moments, Xena’s eyes widening, and even though cats don’t emote, Emma is feeling swayed by the look the cat is giving her.

 

She ultimately decides to let her in, because she’s already over here anyway, and it would be even more awkward to face Regina with her cat out on the balcony while Emma just sits by and ignores her.

 

Plus, she kind of loves the cat.

 

Xena runs straight for Emma’s bed, and the blonde groans out loud. “You know,” she calls after the cat, “You’re really putting me in an awkward situation for when your mom comes back to get you.” She follows Xena in, prepared to demand an explanation even though all the cat is going to do is give her  _ that look _ , but by the time she’s in there, Xena has already fallen asleep.

 

The blonde sighs. It’s only a matter of time before her human follows, though maybe not all the way to Emma’s bed.

 

Sure enough, there’s a knock on the door about an hour after Xena’s arrival, and Emma wastes no time in letting the visitor in. “I am so sorry,” Regina starts. “I’m not even sure how she got out this time. I closed my door before I left.”

 

“What about the window?”

 

Regina scoffs, “Miss Swan. Do you really think I’d be careless enough to leave the window open when I’m not home?”

 

Emma shrugs, “It’s not like it makes a difference. We live on the third floor, and the only one who could even get to your balcony would be me, and that’s if I was agile enough to tightrope across the ledge without falling to my death.”

 

“Oh, don’t be so dramatic. It’s hardly that risky. If Xena can get over, I’m sure even you could manage.” Emma huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. “Where is she anyway?” And that’s Emma’s cue to do literally anything else, like pick at invisible lint or try and remove a nonexistent smudge from the floor with her socked foot. “Let me guess… she’s sleeping in your room.”

 

“Maybe?”

 

Regina quirks a brow before taking a few steps towards Emma’s bedroom, and the blonde starts to panic. She should have thought to clean up a little, but it’s not like she could have  _ known _ Regina was going to actually walk in there. 

 

“How do you know where my room is, anyway?” She asks, following Regina down the short hallway.

 

The brunette stops abruptly and spins on the spot to give Emma a look she doesn’t see, too busy trying not to run into her. “My apartment is arranged the same as yours, you know. Just backwards.”

 

“Oh,” Emma says dumbly. “Right.”

 

The next thing she knows, she and Regina are standing in her bedroom taking in the sight of Xena passed out on the bed, her face nuzzled right in one of Emma’s bras. “She, uh… she wasn’t like that a minute ago.”

 

“Trying to show off are we?” Regina says, eyeing the lacy garment.

 

“Oh, come on! That isn’t even the sexiest one!”

 

Regina hums in response, her eyes flitting down Emma’s body while the blonde tries to disappear into thin air. When their eyes meet again, Emma looks away.

 

“I’ll get out of your way then,” Regina says. “And get Xena out of your… mentionables.”

 

“Don’t you mean  _ un _ mentionables?”

 

“No,” Regina smirks. “Clearly they’re worth mentioning if you’ve brought them up twice now.”

 

Emma sputters, unable to justify that with a response. Is her neighbor flirting with her or just trying to humiliate her? Either way, Emma feels… some type of way about it.

 

Regina makes her way to the bed to scoop up Xena in her arms. The cat makes a low growl of protest. “Aw, baby,” Regina coos as Xena debates struggling free or relenting to being held. “Do you not want to leave the big comfy bed?”

 

“Oh, we’re back to talking about the bed now.” Regina glances up at Emma, a look of surprise in her dark eyes. “I, uh, didn’t mean to say that outloud.”

 

“Oh, I’m sure.”

 

Emma walks Regina and Xena back to the door. She’s never been more aware of her apartment decor until now, and she wonders what Regina’s looks like, stylistically anyway. She cuts off the possibility before it even really begins, doing everything she can to avoid another heavy fit of blushing.

 

“So, I’ll see you next time,” Emma says as Regina steps through the doorway.

 

“Next time?”

 

“Yeah, this’ll probably happen again, don’t you think?”

 

“Not likely,” Regina casually responds and Emma can’t help but feel more than a little disappointed. She doesn’t let it show, and she doesn’t let herself dwell on it.

 

She doesn’t see Xena the next day, or the day after that, and she’s gone days without the cat’s presence before, but now that she’s met Regina it’s  _ different _ . As annoying as the furrball is, she misses Xena, and she’d be lying if she said she didn’t want to see Regina again.

 

Of course, they’re  _ neighbors _ , so Emma has more than enough chances to run into Regina in the hallway, but she doesn’t. It might be a timing issue, but Emma thinks it has more to do with the way she sneaks through the hallways  _ trying _ to go unnoticed, looking through the peephole and listening for any sound outside the door. She’s not  _ insane _ , it’s just gay panic. That seems to be the clear answer here, at least to Emma.

 

It’s a week later when Emma wakes up to a loud meow right in her face, and she nearly knocks the poor cat to the floor as she scrambles to sit up, reaching for the light. When her eyes adjust, the cat who had nestled itself on her chest is squinting at her next to Xena, who sports a similar expression to the new cat, glaring at Emma as if she was to blame for this whole thing even though this is  _ her _ apartment.

 

She blinks at the new cat, a not-quite-orange-tan color, its short hair light and fluffy. “Who are  _ you _ ?” She asks, hoping it’s nicer than Xena when it comes to petting. She smiles down at it when the cat nuzzles its face into her hand, purring loudly. “I wonder what your name is…” She eyes Xena nervously before regarding the new cat. “Gabrielle?” she questions. “Gabby?” In response the cat gives a little chirp before running her face into Emma’s hand once again.

 

Emma hardly has time to process what it could  _ mean _ that Regina named her cats after an iconic queer power couple before there’s a frantic knocking at the door.

 

_ Regina. _

 

The blonde races to the door.  _ She must be worried sick _ , she thinks as she opens the door, revealing Regina, bathrobe held tight across her chest, her face bare, and her eyes glued on Emma’s legs. “Uh,” the brunette says, and Emma gets the impression that the woman doesn’t often come up short for words.

 

“Um,” Emma says back, following Regina’s line of sight. She’d be embarrassed if she weren’t so  proud of evoking this reaction, among other things. “I guess I forgot to put on pants,” Emma shrugs, raising an arm to lean against the doorframe, flexing a muscle as she does.

 

Regina doesn’t notice, her eyes still working their way up to Emma’s, lingering on Emma’s chest, in her white tank that doesn’t leave much to the imagination. She swallows hard. “That’s okay,” she manages to say before clearing her throat. “Are my cats here?”

 

“Yeah, they are. I’m not sure how long they’ve been here though. I just found out.”

 

“I didn’t wake you up, did I?”

 

“No, uh, actually it was the other cat. The one I’ve never seen before…”

 

“Gabby?”

 

“Yeah,” Emma grins at the confirmation. “Gabby.”

 

Regina nods. “Okay, well, they can stay here tonight, if you want. I was just worried they were trapped outside in the rain. As long as they’re safe…”

 

“Oh,” Emma turns around, just as the sky outside the window lights up. “I didn’t realize. I should close that.” Regina nods, looking embarrassed or the first time since they’ve met. “I don’t mind them staying here. I think Gabby actually likes me,” she says with a smug grin.

 

“What a traitor. Both of them. Sleeping with the enemy,” she jokes, but it comes out weighted, her eyes wide at whatever implication her words could have held. Emma wants to laugh, but she knows the struggles of gay panic all too well, so she holds back. “Anyway, good night, Emma. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

 

“Night, Regina,” she says as the door closes between them, Regina already walking back to her own apartment.

 

Emma makes her way to shut the window, and it’s locked behind her with a click before she hears another knock, a little softer this time. The blonde’s brows furrow as she walks back to the door. She pulls it open and has to fight back a chuckle when her eyes meet Regina’s again. 

 

“Hey, it’s been a while,” Emma teases.

 

Regina rolls her eyes. “I’m locked out.”

 

The blonde’s jaw goes slack. “Are you serious?”

 

“No, I just thought it would be a funny joke to make in the middle of the night,” Regina sasses back. “Of course, I’m serious! Would I be here otherwise?”

 

“Uh, I don’t know. Does anyone have a spare key to your apartment?” 

 

“Not anymore, no,” Regina says, shifting awkwardly on the spot, her arms crossed over her chest, and for a moment Emma wonders if she has anything on under the bathrobe, but now is not the time.

 

Emma steps back gesturing for Regina to enter, and she does, taking tentative steps with her bare feet. “What happened to it?”

 

Regina shrugs, dismissing the question. 

 

“Is your balcony door unlocked? I could…” Emma starts to offer, but the more she thinks about it, the stupider it seems. She lets her offer fall flat, but she’s already caught Regina’s attention.

 

“Are you going to suggest that you climb to my side of the balcony in the middle of the night? In the rain? Just to help me unlock the apartment?”

 

“Yeah?” Emma stands frozen for a moment, unsure if she should move like she actually is about to try it, but before she can decide what the right choice here is, Regina’s fingers are brushing lightly against her wrist.

 

“Please don’t. I don’t want you to get hurt.” Her brown eyes are so soft as they seek Emma’s as if she’s going to need to fight to keep her in the apartment. Emma glances down as Regina’s hand slips away, letting Emma’s arm drop back down. “Besides, you’re hardly wearing any clothes.”

 

“You noticed, did you?” Emma jokes, but Regina turns away. “Uh, anyway, you’re welcome to stay here tonight. We can figure out your situation in the morning.”

 

Regina nods. “I’ll take the couch,” she says as she walks towards it, and this time, Emma is the one to reach out, her hand cupping Regina’s elbow and tugging her back.

 

“Don’t be ridiculous. My bed is big enough for us to share.”

 

“I don’t want to intrude.”

 

“Your cats already have,” Emma grins. “What’s one more?”

 

It may seem like Emma’s keeping her cool, but she’s actually doing the complete opposite as they walk together to Emma’s bedroom. The cats get up and walk out as they enter, and it just makes Emma feel even more weird about the whole thing because now they’re  _ alone. _

 

The blonde climbs into bed without hesitation, watching as Regina hovers on the other side, still holding her bathrobe closed. Emma clears her throat. “Do you need to borrow any pajamas or anything?” 

 

“No…”

 

“Good, because I don’t have any.” Regina snorts before letting the robe fall to the ground. Emma has to catch her jaw as it threatens to drop, her eyes immediately landing on Regina’s body clad in almost as little as Emma.

 

“Some people actually  _ have _ pajamas.”

 

“I’m not sure I’d call  _ those _ pajamas…”

 

“Are you complaining?” Regina asks her as she slides into the bed next to Emma, whose mouth has found a way to hang open despite her efforts to prevent it. She’s still sitting up by the time Regina has leaned back with a contented sigh. “You were right. Your bed  _ is _ comfy.”

 

“Uh-huh,” is all the blonde can manage to say as she switches off the light and makes herself comfortable. Moderately so anyway, as all she can think about is how close she is lying to Regina and the way the brunette was ogling her earlier. She suddenly feels more awake than ever.

 

“Is it hot in here?” she blurts out, immediately wishing she hadn’t. “Anyway… good night,” she attempts to recover, but as she’s about to roll away from Regina and scoot to the very edge of the bed, she feels soft fingers against her arm.

 

Emma turns the other way instead, surprised to see Regina lying closer than she expected her to be, her dark eyes illuminated by the moonlight streaming through the window. “I think you’re just imagining things. It feels fine in here. The temperature is comfortable.”

 

“You’re not too hot?”

 

“Are you?”

 

“I asked you first.”

 

Emma isn’t really sure  _ how _ it happened or  _ when _ , but suddenly she and Regina are lying face to face, so close that Regina’s breath tickles Emma’s nose. The blonde shifts under the blankets enough for her knee to brush against Regina’s leg, sending a nearly undetectable shiver through the brunette. “You’re definitely too hot.”

 

“Sorry,” Emma mumbles, shifting again to avoid further contact, but Regina has already inched closer. 

 

“I wasn’t referring to your body temperature.” Regina’s voice comes out in a purr, almost as seductive as the way she trails her knuckles down Emma’s jaw. The blonde is the one to shiver this time. She can see Regina’s smirk barely illuminated in the darkness, a sneaky excitement in her eyes. It makes Emma’s teeth start chattering. “Are you cold?”

 

“Uh…” The answer is  _ no _ . She’s just… other things. She can’t just tell her neighbor that the way she looks at Emma has a distinct effect on her body, so she ends up half shrugging with the shoulder that isn’t pushed into the mattress. “Maybe a little, yeah.”

 

But when Regina pulls Emma close against her, strong arms wrapped around her and a leg tucked between hers, their faces only inches apart, she doesn’t even feel bad for lying.

 

A week passes and Emma doesn’t see much of Regina, but she does see more of her cats, especially Gabby, who seems to love her enough for both her  _ and _ Xena. She’ll curl up on Emma’s lap when she turns on the TV after work while Xena glares at them from the floor.

 

“You know, you could always come up here too…” Emma always tries, but Xena just turns her head away.

 

She starts to catch on to Regina’s schedule just by where the cats are at a given time. They start to stay with Emma whenever she’s there, and the blonde figures it’s because Regina isn’t home. Sometimes they wake up inexplicably and rush out the door to the other apartment, and Emma figures that Regina must be arriving, either right then or pretty soon after.

 

Today, the cats go running from the sliding door and to Regina’s balcony at their normal time, and Emma leans back on the couch with a sigh. She never realized how lonely her apartment is until the times Xena and Gabby are no longer there to keep her company. 

 

This time, she’d been reading, so the room had been quiet, apart from Xena’s snores at her feet, but it hadn’t been  _ still _ . She’d been turning pages and stroking her fingers through Gabby’s soft fur, but with the cats no longer there, she can’t even concentrate. 

 

Emma snaps the book closed and is about to flip on the TV just to fill the room when there’s a knock at the door, firm but somehow hesitant, and Emma isn’t surprised when she pulls the door open to reveal Regina, an uncharacteristically nervous smile on her face. “Regina, hey,” Emma says, unable to stop the grin spreading along her face. “I think your cats are expecting you.”

 

It must not have been what Regina was expecting her to say, because she blinks at Emma, her forehead wrinkling in confusion. “What?”

 

It makes Emma laugh out loud. “Your cats will be in my apartment until about this time everyday before they go running out, regardless of what they were doing before. Usually sleeping,” Emma says with a shrug. “I figured it was just when they knew you would be home.”

 

Regina’s face relaxes as that information sinks in, but it’s soon replaced by a quirked eyebrow and a sneaky grin. “I just figured they didn’t want to spend time with you anymore,” she says with a small hum.

 

Emma knows it’s just a joke, but she can’t help but feel challenged, and as soon as she says “No, I think that’s you,” she wishes she’d said anything else.

 

But Regina’s expression doesn’t change, if anything it grows more sultry, “Why do you think I’m here?”

 

“You wanted to see me?” Emma’s voice comes out in nearly a squeak, and whether it’s the reason for Regina’s face softening or just a coincidence.

 

“Are you busy?”

 

Regina’s making her way into the apartment before Emma can shake her head, but it isn’t like she minds. Hell, Regina could close the door with Emma’s back and the force of her own body and Emma wouldn’t mind.

 

But she tries to keep a level head as she closes the door normally. “What about your cats?” 

 

The brunette grins. “You know they’ll just fall asleep over there.”

 

“But they slept over here all day...” Regina raises her eyebrows at Emma and the blonde nods once, “Yeah, you’ve got a point.”

 

They end up sitting on the couch together, just talking, and Emma grows more and more nervous with each passing second, wondering what Regina’s expectations for this whole  _ thing _ are. 

 

The bruette seems significantly less nervous as she speaks with ease, her fingers grazing casually up Emma’s thigh before she pulls her hand back. It’s all Emma can do to remain  _ calm _ during these small touches, though it’s difficult with Regina’s dark eyes lingering on hers.

 

“Emma?” 

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Did you hear what I said?” 

 

The blonde would be panicking if Regina had looked upset, but her expression is almost smoldering as she regards Emma, and it gives her the push to admit, “Honestly, no. I’m sorry.”

 

“Only be sorry if you were ignoring me entirely. I don’t think that was the case though… was it?” Regina asks, her fingers tracing up Emma’s arm, sending a shudder through the blonde.

 

“Absolutely not,” Emma says, a surge of confidence running through her as she inches closer, her own hands coming to rest on Regina’s thigh. “Quite the opposite in fact.”

 

Her eyes drift to Regina’s mouth, the brunette licking her lips, before she glances back up to meet eyes darker than before, and when Emma speaks, it’s nearly a whisper. “Was there anything you needed, or did you just want to spend time with me?”

 

“I wanted...” Regina starts, her eyes falling closed as her fingers grazed down Emma’s arm before finding their way to her waist, hesitating just before they can slip beneath the fabric of her shirt. Emma is nearly melting as she leans in, thrilled at the prospect of feeling Regina’s fingers against the bare skin of her torso and having the taste of her lips on her tongue.

 

She’s inches away when there’s suddenly an unexpected weight in her back, and she groans when she feels a tiny cat nose against her neck. Xena glares up at her from the floor. “Gabbbyy,” Emma wines, leaning back until the cat has to relent and leap from the blonde’s shoulders. “I thought you liked me.”

 

Gabby just crawls into Emma’s lap in response, flopping down and leaving her stomach exposed enough to let the blonde know she’s begging for pets. Emma scowls and rubs the soft skin of her belly and wishes  _ she  _ were the one getting her pussy stroked.

 

“I, uh,” Regina clears her throat. “I should be going. They’re probably hungry.”

 

“Right,” Emma says, releasing a breath she didn’t know she was holding. “I’ll see you later?”

 

“Definitely,” Regina smiles as she scoops up Xena. “Could you, uh…”

 

“Oh, yeah!” Emma picks up Gabby and follows Regina to the door. 

 

“You have your key, right?” Emma nods. “Good. Don’t need you getting locked out too…”

 

The blonde laughs, “Come on, it wasn’t  _ that _ bad.”

 

“It certainly wasn’t,” Regina says as she reaches for Emma’s hand and gives it a gentle squeeze before pulling back with a grin. “I’ll see you later, Emma.”

 

_ Later  _ lasts longer that Emma initially hoped it would, but she ends up getting Regina’s number when the brunette has to go on a weekend away for work. Emma is left with the two cats and a litter box and food Regina  _ thinks  _ she needs, but really, Emma’s had those things in her apartment for months now.

 

They text on and off during the weekend, but it carries over even when Regina gets back. It starts as an occasional occurrence, but it becomes more and more consistent, and Emma thinks its  _ ridiculous _ that they live next door, and they text every day, and they’re very nearly co-parenting two cats but they never spend any time together.

 

Emma has almost that exact message typed out on her phone, about to hit send, when there’s suddenly a knock at the door, and she rushes her phone out of sight, embarrassed that she would have said that to begin with, and she opens only to be shoved inside by Regina, and she’s more than surprised to have the door being slammed by her own back as Regina’s mouth finds hers.

 

“Emma,” Regina breathed.

 

“Oh god. What?” Emma moaned against Regina’s lips. She wasn’t sure what was happening or  _ how _ or  _ why,  _ but she absolutely had no issue with it. She reciprocated the kiss with no hesitation, tugging on Regina’s lower lip between her teeth,

 

“I was going to make sure you were okay with this, but I guess I don’t need to ask.” Regina chuckles against her lips. “I’ve wanted you for so long. I couldn’t… I couldn’t wait anymore.”

 

“Yeah I gathered as much,” Emma groans as Regina's lips leave hers and start a path across her jaw and down her neck. “And  _ no _ ,  _ I _ don't care but I'm pretty sure your cats do. What time do you usually feed them again?”

 

Regina indulges herself on more time, sucking on Emma's pulse point before pulling back, her hands ghosting to Emma's hips and finding rest there. “Now, usually,” she sighs.

 

“Let's go feed them. we can postpone  _ this _ ,” Emma says gesturing between them. “I can forgive you but I'm not so sure Xena can.”

 

“You want to come with me?”

 

Emma grins, “Why not?”

 

“If it's food you want, I suppose I can feed you too.”

 

“A woman after my own heart.”

 

“You have no idea.” Regina grins at her as they lace their hands together, Emma grabbing whatever she needs before they make their way over next door.

 

Regina's apartment is designed opposite to Emma's, and not just architecturally. Not only is it cleaner, it's also more sleek, and homey in all the ways Emma's is bare. The most startling difference is the lack of cat hair in Regina's home.

 

“But I don't under _ stand.  _ They're  _ your  _ cats. Do they intentionally trash my apartment or are you just that good at cleaning?”

 

“Well, dear, you know the first step is purchasing a vacuum…”

 

“Shut up,” Emma laughs. She walks over to the cats, faces buried in their food dishes and crouches to pet Gabby while she eats.

 

Regina snorts. “I still can't believe she lets you do that.”

 

“We have similar priorities.” Regina's eyebrows raise. “Food and pets,” the blonde explains.

 

“Speaking of food… you don't have any allergies do you? Or any dietary restrictions in general…”

 

“Nope. I'll pretty much eat anything. I'm very low maintenance. it's one of the perks.”

 

“The perks?” 

 

“uh,” Emma starts, blushing heavily. “of dating me. Which I realize you aren't doing, but--”

 

“I could be,” Regina says, meeting Emma's gaze and holding it. “I might like to be.”

 

Emma beams.

 

The smile on her face stays in place the entire time Regina cooks dinner and of course during the meal itself. Regina blushes a handful of times, and it only makes Emma’s smile grow, knowing that she’s the one causing it.

 

“Do you have any plans for the rest of your night?” Regina asks tentatively, like she’s expecting the answer to be  _ yes _ .

 

“Do you?”

 

“I asked you first.”

 

“No,” Emma says, shaking her head. “Not yet.”

 

“Would you like to stay over?”

 

It doesn’t take long for Emma to agree, jumping to clear the table for Regina, and it takes even less time than that for Emma to be pulled down the hallway by the other woman. For the second time that day, Regina uses Emma's back to close the door behind them, her body providing enough force to slam it, and this time Emma groans loudly, knowing exactly where this is leading now that they're in the brunette's bedroom.

 

Regina had cooked some extra turkey especially for the cats, which they had delightfully devoured. It had led them to an apparently amazing sleep, judging by the snores Xena was letting out and by how unbothered she was that Gabby was using her fluffy belly as a pillow. It worked out perfectly, as they couldn't be bothered to care what Regina and Emma were up to now, an activity that which they were certainly  _ not _ invited to.

 

“Shall we continue where we left off?”

 

“Is that not what we're doing now?” Emma asks as Regina does exactly as she had earlier, sucking at the blonde's skin hard enough to bruise. Emma snakes one of her arms around Regina's waist, pulling her closer, her other hand tangling in short dark hair.

 

Regina hums as Emma's fingers graze just under her shirt. “Let's say we lose some of these layers,” she says, her shirt lifted over her head within only seconds after making the suggestion. “Someone's enthusiastic.”

 

“Mhmm you would be too if you were me.”

 

“I'm not you, and yet I am still enthusiastic. Need me to prove it to you?”

 

“God, yes,” Emma moans, the sound shifting into something higher pitched when she feels Regina's knee pressing between her thighs as her own shirt is lifted over her head, her bra leaving swiftly after, and if Emma didn't think Regina was some sort of goddess before, she certainly is now.

 

Emma pushes Regina back, not stopping until they're next to the bed. “Are you going to top me, Miss Swan?” Regina asks, her voice husky.

 

“Only if you want me to. But something tells me you'd rather it be the other way around,” Emma says, tugging Regina's eat between her teeth. “I'm okay with any situation. I just want to please you.”

 

At Emma's words, Regina moans, “I'll make an exception for you. You can do whatever you want to me so long as you waste no time in doing it.”

 

“Yes, ma'am,” Emma smirks, sliding down until her mouth is level with the brunette's chest. She occupies her mouth on one of Regina's breasts while her hands work to undo her pants. As instructed, she doesn't put any time to waste, slipping one hand in, groaning against Regina's chest when she realizes the woman isn't wearing underwear.

 

Regina chuckles above her. “Jesus, Regina. Just when I think you can't be any hotter…” But as always, her expectations are blown, and when her fingers finally reach Regina's core, wet for her, she can't help but moan again. 

 

“Like what you feel?” Regina says, chuckling again, but it sounds like she's barely holding it together, so Emma takes control fast, being sure to really push the brunette over the edge, and Regina groans as she starts to grind into her hand.

 

Emma wants to make a quip about patience but she thinks better of it, instead turning her attention to Regina's other breast, sucking the nipple between her lips, tugging gently with her teeth as she works her fingers inside Regina. 

 

The brunette's hands had been tangled in Emma's hair, but now they're gripped on the waistband of her own pants, trying to remove the item. Emma pulls back with a smirk, “Ah, I think that should be the other way around…”

 

“Shut up and just take these damn things off,” Regina growls. 

 

“As you wish,  _ your majesty _ .” The brunette gives her a look, but Emma just winks as she slides down Regina's body, taking Regina’s pants with her. She tosses them across the room before she starts kissing her way up Regina’s legs, starting at one knee. She’s only halfway up before Regina is tugging her forwards and flipping her over so she’s on her back. “What…” Emma starts, but she’s silenced when Regina chuckles.

 

“You were taking too long,” she smirks.

 

“I was--”

 

“No excuses, Miss Swan.” Emma groans as Regina crawls over her body, stopping until her center is almost above the blonde’s face. She curses when she takes in Regina’s smell, eager to taste. “Is this seat taken?” 

 

“Are you kidding me? It’s all yours,” Emma says, wrapping her arms around Regina’s legs to grip her thighs. Unlike before, she wastes no time indulging herself with Regina, her tongue exploring Regina’s folds before sucking the woman’s clitoris between her lips.

 

Regina responds immediately, crying out as she grips the headboard in front of her.

 

It’s a good thing Emma’s her only neighbor.

 

Their night is a series of highs that only roll into higher highs, and by the time they’re coming back down, Emma still feels like she’s floating. Judging by the effortless smile on Regina’s face, she’s sure the other woman is in the same boat.

 

The two of them end up on Regina’s bed, naked and wrapped together. “I knew you liked cuddling,” Emma says, accusatory.

 

Regina mock gasps, “You did not.”

 

“Did so,” Emma responds, sticking her tongue out. The brunette rolls her eyes before leaving a gentle kiss to Emma’s cheek. “You remind me of Xena,” Emma says, eyeing the cat lying at the foot of the bed. After they were both satiated, they’d opened the door to let the cats in if they wanted, but they’d stayed away for a little while before poking their heads in and eventually curling up by their feet.

 

“How so?”

 

“Xena tries to act all mean and grumpy, but she’s actually really soft. You’re the same,” she says matter-of-factly before leaning down to give Xena a kiss on the head, but the cat flinches back, looking affronted. “Aw, come on. You love me, asshole.”

 

“She does or else she wouldn’t let your face get that close.”

 

“What can I say?” Emma says leaning back into Regina’s arms, giving her girlfriend a kiss as Xena prepares for bathtime, her foot pointed high in the air. “I have a way with pussy.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> I love comments, so you know what to do! Feedback is my third life source, right behind oxygen and my own cat, Shiloh!


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